Dental update
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Normal haemostasis depends on a balance between coagulation and fibrinolytic processes. Because of this concept of balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis, drugs which retard or inhibit the breakdown of fibrin encourage haemostasis. Such drugs are used in patients undergoing dental extractions and as prophylactic agents to prevent spontaneous bleeding. Blood clotting factors produced by genetic engineering are now becoming available and these offer exciting prospects for the management of patients with bleeding disorders.
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Dentists and other members of the dental team are well placed to advise mothers of young babies about protecting their children's dental health, and there is general agreement that sugar is the "arch criminal of dental caries". However, sugars are present in a surprising range of foods, and it can be difficult to plan a diet to avoid them. This article reports on the sugar content of baby foods and drinks, and makes some policy recommendations.